Background Conflicts of interest in biomedical research can influence research results and drive research agendas away from public health priorities. Previous agenda-setting studies share two shortfalls: they only account for direct connections between academic institutions and firms, as well as potential bias based on researchers’ personal beliefs. This paper’s goal is to determine the key actors and contents of the prevailing health and biomedical sciences (HBMS) research agenda, overcoming these shortfalls. Methods We performed a bibliometric and lexical analysis of 95,415 scientific articles published between 1999 and 2018 in the highest impact factor journals within HBMS, using the Web of Science database and the CorText platform. HBMS’s prevailing knowledge network of institutions was proxied with network maps where nodes represent affiliations and edges the most frequent co-authorships. The content of the prevailing HBMS research agenda was depicted through network maps of prevalent multi-terms found in titles, keywords, and abstracts. Results The HBMS research agendas of large private firms and leading academic institutions are intertwined. The prevailing HBMS agenda is mostly based on molecular biology (40% of the most frequent multi-terms), with an inclination towards cancer and cardiovascular research (15 and 8% of the most frequent multi-terms, respectively). Studies on pathogens and biological vectors related to recent epidemics are marginal (1% of the most frequent multi-terms). Content of the prevailing HBMS research agenda prioritizes research on pharmacological intervention over research on socio-environmental factors influencing disease onset or progression and overlooks, among others, the study of infectious diseases. Conclusions Pharmaceutical corporations contribute to set HBMS’s prevailing research agenda, which is mainly focused on a few diseases and research topics. A more balanced research agenda, together with epistemological approaches that consider socio-environmental factors associated with disease spreading, could contribute to being better prepared to prevent and treat more diverse pathologies and to improve overall health outcomes.

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Carrot-orange juice processed by UV-C (10.6 kJ/m) assisted with mild heat (H, 50 °C) and yerba mate addition (E) was obtained. UV-C/H + E treated juice was examined for native flora, polyphenol content (PC), total antioxidant activity (TAA), colour, turbidity, °Brix and pH along storage (4 °C). Consumer profiling studies were performed. UV-C/H + E provoked 2.6-5.7 native flora log reductions, preventing from recovery during 24 day-storage. The UV-C/H + E juice exhibited a significant increase in PC (720.2 µg/mL) and TAA (5.5 mg/mL) compared to untreated (PC = 205.0 µg/mL/TAA = 0.7 mg/mL) and single treated juices (PC = 302.1-408.0 µg/mL/TAA = 0.7-2.4 mg/mL), remaining constant throughout storage. UV-C/H + E juice exhibited scarce changes in colour. Nevertheless, increases in °Brix and turbidity were observed compared to single treatments. A cluster sensory analysis revealed that one group showed a marked interest in UVC/H + E beverages with herbal taste and strong aroma. CATA question revealed that some improvements should be introduced in order to satisfy the consumers' ideally beverage.

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The aim of this study was to analyze the inactivation of a wide spectrum of microorganisms in clear as well as turbid juices processed by ultraviolet light (UV‐C: 0–1720 mJ/cm2). A biodosimetry assay was used to determine the equivalent UV‐reduction dose (3.1 mJ/cm2). UV‐C effectiveness increased in melon (3.2 and 4.4 log‐reductions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli) and orange‐tangerine juices (4.7 log‐reductions of E. coli) compared to carrot (2.7, 2.9, and 4.2 log‐reductions of S. cerevisiae, Candida parapsilosis and Pseudomonas fluorescens), orange (1.7, 2.0, 2.9 and 4.0 log‐reductions of S. cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Listeria innocua, and E. coli), and orange‐carrot juices (2.5, 2.5 and 2.9 log‐reductions of S. cerevisiae, P. fluorescens, and E. coli). The Coroller model allowed a better fit compared to the Weibull and modified Gompertz models. UV‐C effectiveness in clear juices was related to low absorbance at 254 nm, color, and turbidity; whereas, in the turbid juices, it was also linked to the presence of particle aggregates. Practical applications Short‐wave ultraviolet light (UV‐C) is a promising preservation technology to partially or totally replace traditional thermal treatments, which severely alter product quality. The present study allowed to interpret how physicochemical properties of clear and turbid juices affected the inactivation of a wide spectrum of microorganisms processed by short‐wave ultraviolet light (UV‐C, up to 1,720 mJ/cm2). UV‐C effectiveness was related to high UV‐C transmittance, low absorbance, and turbidity in clear juices. Whereas, in the turbid ones, other parameters such as the presence of particle aggregates stemmed the disinfection process. Moreover, the optical properties of the juices were used in the estimation of UV dose distribution. Mathematical modeling revealed differences in microbial sensitivities and the existence of subpopulations with different resistance to UV‐C treatment. These results suggest that UV‐C light represents a promissory alternative for the processing of a variety of juices and blends with significant differences in their physicochemical characteristics.

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Of particular interest for this topic are the signaling cascades that regulate cell survival and death, two opposite cell programs whose control is hijacked by viral infections. The AKT and the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) pathways, which maintain cell homeostasis by regulating these two programs, have been shown to be deregulated during SARS-CoVs infection as well as in the development of cancer, one of the most important comorbidities in relation to COVID-19. Recent evidence revealed two way crosstalk mechanisms between the AKT and the UPR pathways, suggesting that they might constitute a unified homeostatic control system. Here, we review the role of the AKT and UPR pathways and their interaction in relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as in tumor onset and progression. Feedback regulation between AKT and UPR pathways emerges as a master control mechanism of cell decision making in terms of survival or death and therefore represents a key potential target for developing treatments for both viral infection and cancer. In particular, drug repositioning, the investigation of existing drugs for new therapeutic purposes, could significantly reduce time and costs compared to de novo drug discovery.